DAILY NEWS: Film School Joins the Global Parade, and Florida Film Festival Report

DAILY NEWS: Film School Joins the Global Parade, and Florida Film Festival Report

DAILY NEWS: New Fest Winners, and a New Addition at Walker + Associates

by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE

>> The New Festival Names Honorees Closing Night

(indieWIRE: 06.20.02) — Before a crowded theater on closing night at theNew School, The New Festival concluded Sunday with a screening ofStanley Kwan‘s “Lan Yu.” The New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival presented its awards as well, with best narrative feature going to “HisSecret Life” by Ferzan Ozpetek. The Italian film follows a grief-strickenwidow seeking to find her late husband’s mistress, but discovers “she”is a man. Strand Releasing will release the film later this year.

“Out in the Cold” by directors Eric Criswell and Martin Bedogne took the best documentary feature award for what the festival called “its compellingexploration of vital, unaddressed issues for homeless gay, lesbian,bisexual, and transsexual youth in the Bible Belt of the U.S.” In otherawards, the Showtime No Limits award, created to spotlight a “breakthroughor visionary achievement” was awarded to “Flora’s Garment Bursting intoBloom,” by Devin Baggot. The film explores to opposites of the social realmwho are nonetheless drawn together. Also, Deborah Dickson‘s doc “Ruthie andConnie,” about two Jewish lesbian grandmothers, took the audience award forbest feature while the best short award went to Jeremy Podeswa‘s “Touch.”

Filmmaker Tom Kalin was this year’s recipient of the New Festival’s Peter S.Reed Achievement award sponsored by the Peter S. Reed Foundation presented to an established or mid-career film or videomaker with a significantroster of gay work. Kalin’s credits include “I Shot Andy Warhol” (1996) and“Swoon” (1992). The Vito Russo award, presented to a New York film project in progress went to “The Furies.” The documentary by Janet Baus and Ara Wilson takes a look at the radical lesbian collective of the early 1970s.[Brian Brooks]

>> Litkovich Joins Jeremy Walker + Associates

(indieWIRE: 06.20.02) — New York movie publicist Jeremy Walker announcedyesterday that Mary Litkovich will join Jeremy Walker + Associates.Litkovich formerly worked in the New York office of mPRm Public Relations where she worked on campaigns for films including David Lynch‘s “Mulholland Drive,” Todd Field‘s “In the Bedroom,” and Richard Kelly‘s “Donnie Darko” as well as Oscar-nominated docs “Promises,” and “Dancemaker.” She has also worked as a unit publicist on Darren Aronofsky‘s “Requiem for a Dream,” and Victor Nunez‘s “Coastlines” in addition to representing independent films at Sundance and Toronto.

“We’re very happy that Mary is joining us,” said Walker in a release. “Shehas a great deal of experience and is well liked in the community.”Recently, the agency announced the departure of Rudi Furstberger, who isreturning to his native Germany, and the promotion of Jessica Haines tojunior publicist. [Brian Brooks]